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Advance thin film and get out of the dark ages of PV and dump the crystal process. If Ford cars still only had the tech advancment of the Model T the other companies would have ran it out of business as well. Advance or fail is the point.

No argument here... I think it's a crock how much our own govt has wasted on these type of boondoggles... Even though this one didn't get its money from Obama's stash, I'm sure plenty of local and state public money was lost.

Don't know anything about the technical end of it like you seem to. But they were sure riding high when they came to town. They even built a big building at the local university(Austin Peay State) and started their own degree program to train a workforce... Lots of big plans... Down the drain it seems.

No argument here... I think it's a crock how much our own govt has wasted on these type of boondoggles... Even though this one didn't get its money from Obama's stash, I'm sure plenty of local and state public money was lost.

Don't know anything about the technical end of it like you seem to. But they were sure riding high when they came to town. They even built a big building at the local university(Austin Peay State) and started their own degree program to train a workforce... Lots of big plans... Down the drain it seems.

Silicon based plants for PV like this require high amounts of energy to be put into making them, there is a great amount of materials lost as dust when they make the wafers for the panels. New thin films do not have the efficiency of those types but are cheaper and getting better. All of these companies try and jump in but it is cheaper to make overseas for this old tech. We need to invest in the future not the past. Just .02 though.

My Father,My Friend,My teacher,and now My Angel~ 04/21/1956-03/21/2011 You will always be missed. I hope to learn half of the stuff you knew.

Only way the Dems don't nominate Hillary is if another Obama shows up, which isn't likely.

Look for the GOP to screw it up once again by nominating a "moderate," which they have done in every election since Ronald Reagan left office. They won with Bush, but just barely, and that was against looney tunes Al Gore; every other nomination has been a disaster (yes, including GHWB).

Winning ticket for GOP: Perry/Rubio. Won't happen, but it would decimate Hillary.

Silicon based plants for PV like this require high amounts of energy to be put into making them, there is a great amount of materials lost as dust when they make the wafers for the panels. New thin films do not have the efficiency of those types but are cheaper and getting better. All of these companies try and jump in but it is cheaper to make overseas for this old tech. We need to invest in the future not the past. Just .02 though.

Innovation has always seemed to be what the U.S. does best.

I can recall reading years ago (though the world always changes over time) that the Japanese were not very good at innovation, but they were VERY good at copying stuff with precision and craftsmanship. And, back then, their labor costs were much lower than the US (as China is today). Over time, I think the Japanese culture has changed, and they have probably gotten better at the innovation aspect.

I might theorize that personal freedom encourages innovation ... the freedom to think outside of the box.

G.Clinchy@gmail.com"Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none ever happened." -Libby Fudim

​I don't use the PM feature, so just email me direct at the address shown above.

LOL! I do think that Christie has too many views that are non-conservative. And for all his attempts to act "savvy", he certainly got sucked in by Obama over Sandy. A photo-op just before the election, was NOT a smart thing to begin with. And to think that Obama REALLY would make things happen for NJ was ultimate naivete.

That woman that Obama hugged in his photo-op has seen no cutting of red tape in her situation.

Obama still glad-hands Christie, but there are a LOT of people in NJ who still do NOT have public services. Not to mention that union rules are applying to the reconstruction work in NJ.

Personally, I think Christie has tasted power, and likes it too well.

Jindal/Rubio might be a better match. After that Rubio/Cruz?

G.Clinchy@gmail.com"Know in your heart that all things are possible. We couldn't conceive of a miracle if none ever happened." -Libby Fudim

​I don't use the PM feature, so just email me direct at the address shown above.